Panama Climate

Panama has a year-round, warm, agreeable climate. Seemingly perfectly positioned in the tropics, it is north of the equator but far enough south to avoid hurricanes. The country can be split into climatic zones based on which ocean it is closest to and altitude. Temperature varies with altitude, more than season, the highlands being a cool relief from the humid coast. The Pacific side has a two seasons, wet and dry, while in the Caribbean it’s rare to go a week without a tropical downpour, anytime of year.

Panamanians refer to the seasons as summer (verano) which is dry season and winter, (invierno) which is wet season, remembering it’s the tropics so winter is never cold, just a little wetter. The temperature is remarkably consistent all year with a thoroughly enjoyable 19-21 ̊C in the highlands and 28-31̊C elsewhere the norm. On the Pacific side the wet season, or green season, kicks in from May until November, bringing high humidity and plenty of rainfall. It often rains in short bursts but sometimes rains for a day or two before clearing. The end of the wet season is typically the wettest time of year. Where there is r`e are clouds. Accordingly the dry season sees more blue sky days than the wet. The dry season runs from mid-December to mid-April, with April and March being the hottest months.

The Caribbean, on the other hand, has just one season – the wet one. Expect uniformly warm temperatures and tropical downpours. In the Caribbean you can be sure rain is never too far away, but it will always clear afterwards. A locals’ tip is to visit in February-March or September-October when there is generally less rainfall. In central Panama, highland areas receive less rainfall in the wet season, have a drier dry season and are a few degrees cooler, though at nighttime the temperature can drop significantly.